| Meet Our New Strategic Outreach Specialist: Reggie Wilcox! | | Reggie Wilcox is an avid environmentalist and community member. They have an extensive background in conservation research, including a B.S. in Integrated Science and Technology with a concentration in Environment & Sustainability from James Madison University’s Honors College. Through their degree, they researched a slew of topics, including riparian buffer remediation, environmental justice, and interdisciplinary pedagogy. Their work has been showcased in both Spain and Mexico, at NASA Headquarters, and to members of the US Senate. Reggie also works as a Certified Cider Professional and Hospitality Lead at Sage Bird Ciderworks, (let them know if you ever need a good cider or wine recommendation!) and as a Swing Dance instructor. When they are not working, you can find them hiking in Shenandoah National Park, playing their guitar, or traveling around the world for dance competitions. They are so excited to start working with FOMR and to contribute to our mission! | | Float Trip Season Continues | | Our next FOMR Float Trip will be this Saturday, July 12th! Join us for an easy, relaxing float. Our trip leader, Ted, is an aquatic ecologist and will provide floaters with useful and interesting knowledge about the ecology of the Middle River & other rivers in our area. | | Save the Date: FriendsFest 2025 | | Mark your calendars for our annual FriendsFest celebration on September 14th at 4 PM! There will be food, fun, a silent auction, and we will pick the winners of our kayak raffle! There's still plenty of time to enter our 2025 raffle -- be sure to get your tickets (if you haven't already) at this link here. More details coming soon! | | You Could Be Our Next Board Member! | | | (Picture from a recent Board & Friends Potluck) Volunteering on the Board of Directors is one of many ways to get more involved with leadership at Friends of the Middle River. Every year, a few of our Board Members complete their terms and rotate off the Board. That's where you could come in -- we are always seeking folks who might be interested in Board service!
Board Member terms are three years. Board terms start January 1st, and our recruitment and interviewing process is June to October. We aim to create a diverse board, with the skills and experience that we need at any given time represented. Remember, there are many ways to provide leadership besides Board Directorship, including volunteering for committee Chair roles. If you would like to speak to someone about the possibility of Board service, please start by filling out this form. The information you give us will be added to an applicant pool for use in filling future board vacancies. We will then be in touch with you to further the conversation! | | Presenting Surf & Turf: A Chesapeake Bay Watershed Story | | Featuring local community members Bobby Whitescarver and Jeanne Hoffman, "Surf and Turf" embarks on a captivating journey from the inland mountains and headwater streams of the Chesapeake Bay watershed to the wide-open, salty expanse of the Bay itself. This powerful environmental tale weaves together the healing power of nature, hope, and an unexpected alliance, showing us how two seemingly different worlds can unite for a shared cause. Discover how we can all find a way to sit at the same table, share our stories, and strive together for clean air, clean water, and a brighter future. | | | | | | In case you missed it -- in April, we rolled out a brand-new way to support Friends of the Middle River in 2025! Like you, we’d rather be paddling than putting stamps on envelopes and pestering you for money, so we’re excited to create an easier way for you to show your support. With YOUR help, our river-themed supporter program - ranging from our Riffle tier at $30 to our Watershed tier at $240 - will help us continue and even expand our work. Our local community has always played an essential part in our organization’s ability to be the voice of Middle River - YOU are Friends of the Middle River. We’re looking forward to the ways in which this new supporter program will help us to continue to connect and grow locally. Please check out our FAQs on our "Join FOMR" landing page to learn more about how our new model works and become a Supporter. And we hope to see you on the water!! Ready to support us? Click the "support" button below! | |
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